1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer implemented method of monitoring a computer, a network of monitored computers and related methods, computers and computer programs.
2. Description of the Related Technology
A computer consumes power whether or not it is fully active. A computer when in a state commonly referred to as idle, as for example when an idle thread is running and no processes are running, may consume around 60% or more of its fully active power consumption. A computer in a network when apparently idle may be at least intermittently carrying out various background tasks such as back-ups, communicating with the network and carrying out other operations such as downloading updates or programs.
In a large server farm, there may be hundreds of servers and in many cases there are more servers than are needed to provide the average level of services required of the farm so as to have spare capacity to cope with peaks in demand. Servers within a farm have different roles. Some may be database servers, others web servers, and yet others e-mail servers amongst other roles. Furthermore it is possible that some servers are continuously idle or only performing background tasks without performing their allocated role. It is desirable for example to identify servers which are serving no useful function and determine whether to at least cause them to adopt a low power state, or switch them off, or even remove them from the farm.
In a farm, physically identical servers may have different roles, and thus be running different software. Servers carrying out the same role may be physically different and/or be running different versions of the same software. A farm may comprise servers which are physically different or are different versions of nominally the same physical design of server. Such differences cause the servers to behave differently both when performing their roles and when not performing their roles.
There is a need to identify servers which are in particular operational states. An example of such a state is a state in which a server is not fulfilling a role deemed useful.